


From Siberia with...

by Cygny



Series: From Siberia with... [1]
Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-03-22
Updated: 2013-08-08
Packaged: 2017-10-17 05:07:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/173218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cygny/pseuds/Cygny
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What would have happened to Asgard, if Hyoga had never found his way to Japan?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Heavy Heart

  
**  


## A Heavy Heart

  
**   


 

The man was standing on a cliff, staring out over the sea, his half long blond hair blowing in the wind. He was wearing a dark blue jeans, light blue t-shirt and a long fur coat that hung open over it. His fists hung crisped by his side, his countenance seemed casual but anyone able to read his aura would notice the anger and annoyance in it.

Hyoga cursed in himself. He could stand here until he would be frozen to the bone, but that would not change the fact that he would have to leave his homeland, leave his mother. He had been saved from it once before, but this time he knew fate would not spare him. He knew it ever since he was just a small kid, right after his mother’s wedding, when he had seen the fortune teller that lived near their new home. When she had first met him, her eyes seemed to turn around in their sockets, until all he could see where white orbs, run through with tiny red and blue veins. He had not been scared of her however, on the contrary, she had sparkled his interest. When she spoke, it was in a low voice.

“You are not supposed to be here, you should be on your way to the rising sun, alone.”

He wanted to ask her what she meant, but at that moment his mother had interfered, looking pale and tense. She took him by the hand, threw an angry look at the woman who now watched them with dark brown eyes, and dragged Hyoga along. He couldn’t help one last glance behind him, but this made his mother only walk faster.

The next weeks Hyoga was so busy exploring his new house, or rather castle, that he didn’t think of her anymore. It was only when one day he was allowed to go riding with his mother's husband and his friends, that he saw the woman again. As they passed the small house she lived in, she came outside and looked at the boy until they were out of sight. Since that moment she had not left his thoughts until he had finally been able to go see her alone.

The tale she had told him seemed unbelievable, but she had proven to be right on every prediction she did ever since. And the more he started believing in her, the more he felt fate tried to steer him onto his path again, after his mother had deviated them from it.

He felt today was the day where so many things would change, or at least start to. He would be vigilant and not let himself be fooled however.

"Hyoga?"

He turned to face his mother, and forced his hands to open, his body to relax. The smile he addressed her was genuine, he never told her what the fortune teller passed to him, he never shared his doubts with her, he only wanted her to be happy. He was Hyoga, son of Magnus Lore, the most important Warlord of ancient Siberian tribes, and as such he would fulfil his duty. His mother extended her hand towards him, which he took without hesitating, before softly kissing it.

"Are you ok, mother?"

She smiled and stroked a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"I believe it is me who should ask you that."

He turned back to watch out over the sea and answered without showing her his eyes, which had turned hard and cold as the eternal Siberian glaciers.

"You know my feelings about this mother, but as I told Magnus, I will do as my father instructs."

She flinched when hearing him call her husband by his name. She had hoped he would learn to accept Magnus as his father and although he always called him father in his presence or that of his friends, towards his mother he had always been completely honest. He respected the man, was grateful for his education and the love he showed her, but between the man and the boy there never grew a true father/son relationship.

She turned away from her son, a sad look in her eyes.

"It's almost time to leave, you'd better come inside so you can say goodbye."

He nodded but didn't move, so she slowly walked away, knowing that he would follow on his own time, which was always within acceptable limits after all. Hyoga threw one last look at the Sea, which had a strange appeal on him ever since... He shook his head, it was so not the time nor place to think of that.

When he got back to the Castle, he went straight up to his room where he changed into the more formal outfit that had been chosen for his trip. The woollen black trousers closed tight around his hips and muscled legs. A white shirt and dark grey vest completed the clothes. He took his sword and hung it around his waist. After one last look in the mirror, he swung his black fur coat over his shoulder and started descending the stairs. Several maids stopped and stared as he walked past but he was so used to it that he hardly noticed and cared even less.

His mother and Magnus were waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, both looking as if they saw him for the first, or maybe the last, time. His mother hugged him with tears in her eyes and whispered

"Good luck my son."

When she finally let go, Magnus put his hands on Hyoga's shoulders and said in his deep voice.

"Son of my wife, son of mine, for Siberian tribes to be almighty, as we have been in the past, this alliance is of great importance. I know you had counted on something quite different, with more action involved, but this is too important a matter to let someone else deal with it."

Hyoga managed just in time to hold back a smirk.

::Right, you don't want another Warlord's son to make that alliance and thus become more powerful. You'd rather marry off your own son, without considering his feelings.::

Nothing of his thoughts could be seen on his face as he smiled at Magnus.

"I won't fail you father."

Magnus walked him to the waiting car and when he saw the searching look of Hyoga, he anticipated the logical questions.

"Your luggage and armour have already been brought to the ship. We once again contacted Asgard to see if the plane could land, but it would seem weather conditions are too bad for the moment."

Hyoga shivered slightly because such a trip would mean a part of the fortune teller's prediction fulfilled. After one last handshake however he got in the car, which drove him out to his destination. On board the ship, he went directly on deck and took place on a chair, looking out over the dark water.

He remembered the day very well, only a few weeks ago, when his father and their Siberian allies had come together in their yearly meeting. In the past months there had been quite some shifts and changes at the Court of their northern neighbour and it would be time to establish a sure alliance between the two territories. Magnus being the most powerful of them, it was his son who was chosen to forge that alliance. Contact had been made with the current ruler of Asgard and he had accepted to receive Hyoga and see if they could come to an agreement. His sister in law being  currently still available, he agreed it might be a good idea to seal this alliance by family ties.

And thus Hyoga had received his instructions, which he accepted with a certain disdain, but which he did accept nonetheless. Some might argue that he had no obligations toward a man who was not his real father, but the man had raised him as his own and thus Hyoga felt he had to behave like one.

Siberia was one of those regions with huge contradictions in the way of life. All modern comfort was present in the castle but when it came to values like honour, pride, family, the ancient rules still applied. Hyoga mockingly called it hypocrisy but very well realized the irony of the fact this made him the biggest hypocrite of them all.

The trip north passed without any accidents worthy of mention. Hyoga passed a considerable amount of his time on the deck, watching the sea, training or simply enjoying the solitude. He was taking full advantage of the fact that once on destination he would have to deploy all his charm and diplomacy toward the Asgardians and if one took into account that he was a loner, it was perfectly understandable that he was reluctant to arrive. But when the land came in sight, he went to his cabin to make some last adjustments to how he looked and then returned on deck to wait for the row boat that was to pick him up as the ship dropped anchor a mile off shore.

****

The court of Asgard were gathered around their King, as he had himself called since his marriage to Hilda. The High Priestess herself was sitting next to him, her head bent down as she stared at the hands she had frenetically folded in her lap. Her husband however was looking at his troops with a delighted face, clearly enjoying himself.

"Now who shall I send to meet our guest? Alberich? No, you might scare him so that he'll leave as quickly as he can. Fenrir? Not a very good idea either I think, if the man wants intelligent conversation. That leaves Mime, which would be a good choice if he happens to be a music lover... But! He is coming here to court our dear sister, lady Freya, so what better choice is there than our Commander, Hagen of Merak."

His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he saw this one have a hard time to control himself. But finally he managed, nodded and left after a short bow.

One quick gesture from a hand filled with heavy rings and the three other warriors took their leave as well. As the door closed behind them, Hilda looked up, giving the man beside her, her King, a cold look.

"Was that really necessary?"

He burst out in laughter.

"The look on his face was worth it, but of course you didn't see it because your head was almost hanging on your feet."

His voice changed, becoming hard and sharp as Odin's sword.

"However I believe you are forgetting your place again Priestess of mine. A lesson is in order I would say."

He grabbed her hand and started dragging her along, not noticing or simply ignoring the distant yet terrified look in her eyes, nor did he hear the whispered name that escaped from her lips.

"Siegfried."

 

Hagen put on his coat, although he hardly needed it for the short trip outside and put his hand on the door handle when a voice stopped him.

"How does it feel to be put aside just like that... Commander?"

The voice was soft as velvet but whoever knew it, could feel the sarcasm pour from it. Hagen noticed it too, but his answer was short before he left.

"Go to Hell Alberich."

As the door fell shut behind him, the other man laughed and whispered

"Oh, but you'll beat me to it Commander, yes you will."

He didn't notice the figure which was looming in the shadows, its eyes shining with a bright green glow.

 

Hagen arrived at the small port when the rowing boat was only metres away. He had a clear view on the stranger's back with the wavy blond hair and for the first time since they heard about the invitation, he wondered what their guest would be like. When the boat docked and the man turned around, Hagen cursed to himself. Damn, a pretty boy, probably knows how to seduce both woman and man. The smile on his face didn't show his feelings, it was polite but heartless.

Hyoga got out of the boat and greeted the man in front of him, after a scrutinizing first look. He was clearly of good family and taking into account the muscled legs showing under the coat, a warrior as himself. As he extended his hand to the other man, he said

"Hello, I am Hyoga, son of Magnus Lore of the Siberian Arcane, thank you for inviting me."

Hagen shook his hand, his smile never faltering even under the examinating the other had done, even when he was thinking that it was not he who had done the inviting.

"Welcome to Asgard Lord Hyoga, I am Hagen of Merak, commander of Odin's ... the King's troops. Follow me, I will lead you to the Castle. Your luggage will be brought in by the servants."

Hagen threw a glance over his shoulder as he started walking. He wondered if this Hyoga had heard him correct himself when he said Odin's name, and if he did, would he wonder about it. A pretty face indeed but there was something about him... almost familiar.

::No, if he marries Freya, it will be the end. I can not let that happen, by any means, even if it means war.::

 

When both men arrived at the Castle, they found the main hall empty, which Hagen thought was unpardonable towards their guest. On one hand it was to his advantage, but he wanted to get rid of the man on his own account and without the involuntary help of the King.

Hagen turned to Hyoga, with what he hoped was an apologizing look.

"It would seem our rulers have been called away on urgent business. I will escort you to your room where you can freshen up before dinner. You'll meet everyone then."

Hagen walked away and Hyoga was about to follow him when a cold air whizzed past his ear, which made him turn towards the far corner of the Hall, where he thought he saw a shadow, although it was gone the next moment. He considered talking to Hagen about it, but then decided against it. He would wait and see whether he encountered the presence again. Had it been a warning or rather a threat, or merely a fiction of his imagination?

Hyoga was impressed with the Castle and looked around carefully while following Hagen, memorizing the way. He wasn't eager on getting stuck in the middle of an unknown Castle, with as only exit a jump through the window, right into the abyss, he thought as he watched out the window of his room, or rather, suite. He noticed his luggage had already been brought in and nodded at his host.

"Thank you."

Hagen made a little bow.

"Dinner is in two hours, I'll have one of the maids come for you. If there's anything you need, just ring that bell."

After those words Haven left quietly and quickly, as if he was glad to be out of there, Hyoga smirked to himself. After the door closed behind him, Hyoga took a more thorough look around in the room. The floor was abundantly covered with big soft furs, the bed was made up with red satin sheets and woollen blankets and the flames in the fireplace were casting an eerie light on everything, as daylight slowly crept out of the room. Hyoga threw one last look out the window before closing the curtains, taking off his coat and letting himself fall on the bed.

Hagen. Commander of the troops. What kind of man are you? You don't seem to want me here. Do you think I am a threat to the throne or is there something more behind it? He grinned as he noticed he was once again thinking up entire plots and intrigues behind someone's behaviour, a thing his father thought he did too much of.

Hyoga abruptly got up from the bed. He wasn't feeling tired, nor dirty and with almost two hours till dinner, he could do some exploring of the place. He opened the door as softly as possible and peered from behind it, looking right into a pair of green eyes. The voice which belonged to the same person sounded amused.

"Looking for something ... Mylord?"

Hyoga straightened up and tried not to look too guilty. He almost burst out in laughter when he realized he felt like a kid who was caught doing something his mother just forbade him. He managed however to keep a straight face and look composed and relaxed. His answer sounded casual, a tad too casual perhaps.

"I was looking for someone to fill my bath."

The reply came instant, the tone was a sneer.

"You go to the bathroom, put in the plug and open the tap. Don't you have running water in Siberia?"

Hyoga realized his mistake and embarrassment could be seen on his face, which made the other man laugh.

"We may be an isolate country Mylord" – again the sarcasm as he pronounced the title – "but we are not retarded. Unless of course you really wanted a backscrub."

Hyoga had finally recovered from both the shock and his blunder, ignored that last remark and haughtily said

"And you are?"

"Megrez Alberich, second in command of the Asgard warriors."

He mockingly bowed and said over his shoulder, while walking away.

"Welcome to Asgard, Lord Hyoga."

The Siberian watched him until he had rounded the corner and then came back on his decision to go exploring. It wouldn't give the right impression, this encounter clearly showed that. He re-entered his room and leaned against the closed door. Well, this was definitely not the welcome he had expected. What other surprises would be waiting for him during his stay? A smile slowly spread on his face, this could get interesting after all.

 

Hagen was the first to arrive in the Great Hall for dinner, soon followed by Alberich, Mime and Fenrir. Hagen lifted his eyebrow when inspecting his men with a critical look. And these were supposed to be the finest of Asgard, what was the stranger to think. Fenrir was more animal than man, and although he was bright enough to understand it all, and though he could speak, he rarely did. Mime, musician rather than warrior, who claimed to hate violence, who said it was ugly, who had killed his own father. And Alberich of course, with a mind as sharp as a razorblade and a tongue to match. The man who had never accepted his leadership, nor that of the previous commander for that matter. No, Alberich only bowed to one man and that was their King... for as long as he would see the advantage of such action.

Hagen was so lost in his thoughts that Alberich couldn't refrain from making a nasty remark.

"Dreaming of the stranger's beautiful blue eyes, are you Captain?"

"Of course not!" Hagen snapped, but then the true meaning of those words sunk in and Alberich, who noticed it, mockingly said

"Our guest was going to sneak out of his room shortly after you left. I must admit I was surprised you didn't post a guard at his door, since you obviously don't trust him. So I thought I'd take care of that matter for you."

Hagen dryly replied

"The King forbade me to do so."

He approached until they stood nose to nose, Alberich being at the disadvantage due to his length.

"A good thing he didn't forbid you then, isn't it?"

Alberich was spared from answering that when Hyoga came in. Hagen instantly backed away from Alberich out of apprehension of what the other might think if he saw them so close. This caused Alberich to snort, which earned him an angry look from Hagen, who now approached Hyoga, who was dressed in various shades of blue, perfectly matching his eyes. Hagen dismissed this thought, without paying any attention to it.

"Let me introduce you to my men. In the corner you see Fenrir of Alioth, Wolf of the North. That's Mime, our troubadour, who makes an innocent looking musical instrument into a deadly weapon. And over there's Alberich..."

He was interrupted by Hyoga's voice that sounded cold and stern.

"Yes, we already met, your second in command."

Alberich flashed a broad smile as Hagen looked at him enquiringly.

"Is that so?"

Hyoga frowned, feeling something was wrong but not able to say what exactly. He understood however that in the ranks of Asgard, it wasn't all peace and quiet. He observed the two men who were now quietly talking on the other side of the Hall, where Hagen had practically dragged Alberich. Hagen was about Hyoga's own length and his build gave away that he was a warrior or at least that he liked to work out. Alberich on the contrary was smaller and seemed as light as a feather, Hyoga was convinced that when it came to pure strength, anyone here would easily beat him, even the musician guy. However, there was something in his eyes that gave him the impression he would not be an easy adversary. Then again, he was here to find allies, not make enemies. He would do well not to meddle in the affairs between these two.

::Strange train of thought Hyoga. As if you ever had the intention of meddling with them. You should only be interested in one person here.::

He found it hard though to tear his mind and look from the two, whose conversation seemed to deepen, as their gestures became more agitated and their voices grew louder.

"Gentlemen, gentlemen, please. What must our guest think of us if you start arguing like this on his first evening here?"

Hyoga turned to the door, where three people had just entered. A quick, passing look upon the man – he must be the King – was followed by a long, examining look on the women by his side. Both were in their beauty, completely different from one another. The queen had long silvery hair and the same colour of eyes. Hyoga had a quick impression of a proud and strong woman, but that impression faded as he noted the nervous eye movement, the breath that came too quickly and the nervous fidgetting of the hands. This woman was scared of something, but of what ... or who?

::No meddling!::

The second woman had long curly blond hair, blue eyes which looked defiantly into his and an overall rebellious attitude. Could it be that Hyoga's presence here pleased her as little as it did him? He found it rather intriguing, to say the least.

::Well, she's no ugly duckling, that's one thing.::

Hyoga started walking towards them as the woman, Freya he believed her name was, deliberately ignored him, walked past and took place next to Hagen, placing her hand on his arm.

At that moment, a lot of things happened at once. Hagen, somewhat shocked by her impoliteness, tried to convince her to apologize, even though it was still obvious he was pleased by the clear sign of her preferring him still. Hilda called out her sister's name, indignified by her lack of respect toward a guest. Alberich burst out in loud laughter, which probably annoyed Hyoga even more than the woman ignoring him, which was something he could perfectly comprehend.

"SILENCE!"

Everyone turned toward their King, whose look could falter the strongest of mind. Even Alberich had the decency of lowering his head, even if ever so slightly.

"Now, let's see. Alberich, escort my wife to the dinner table. Mime, Fenrir, go with them."

He waited for them to be seated, before taking Hyoga by the arm and accompanying him to Hagen and Freya.

"Hagen, would you be so kind as to introduce us to our guest? You can start with my lovely sister."

The way in which these words were pronounced implied something completely different and Hyoga noticed the girl grind her teeth. Feisty little thing, she was. When Hagen didn't immediately speak, Hyoga turned his eyes to him to catch a glimpse of the anger in his, before he lowered them.

"Lord Hyoga, may I introduce you to Princess Freya. Princess, this is Lord Hyoga, son of Magnus Lore, one of our new allies."

Freya hesitated but a short moment, but when she noticed the look her King gave her, she decided to extend her hand anyway. He would never take his temper or bad mood out on her, since she was too valuable material in his eyes, but her sister would be the one to suffer from her insolence. She made a small reverence, tiny her teacher would call it, and mumbled an almost inaudible

"Charmed, I'm sure."

When she looked up, right into the stranger's eyes, she was completely taken aback by what she saw in them. No anger or hurt pride, no, a rather coldness with just the slightest touch of amusement. On his lips played a small smile as he took her hand and bowed over it, placing a kiss on it.

"Pleased to meet you too, Princess Freya."

Hagen nervously moved on his feet as he saw the looks they exchanged and he was just about to continue with the introduction, as the door flew open and a guard ran in.

"Commander, you asked me to warn you when we spotted the poacher. We have him cornered!"

Hyoga noticed Hagen go pale and throw a look on Hilda, who had looked up, before he made a short bow before his King.

"Excuse me, but I have to deal with this matter urgently."

The man nodded and took Hagen's place next to Freya, placing his hand on her elbow painfully, as the girl grimaced. Hagen hesitated, gave her an apologizing look and turned to run outside as the other man's voice stopped him.

"Take Hyoga with you, why don't you?"

Hagen abruptly stopped and Hyoga thought he could see panic in those light blue eyes, even though his voice sounded calm.

"Your Highness, I strongly have to object..."

The King didn't let him finish however but smiled happily and said in a voice that totally contradicted his next words.

"That's an order."

Hagen clenched his teeth together but bowed his head, gestured Hyoga along and ran outside. Hyoga followed him, plenty of thoughts playing in his mind. Where he had decided not to meddle in the affairs of Hagen and Alberich, he feared it would be harder not to become involved now that he knew that intrigues at this court were present in abundance. At first he had thought things might be interesting, but now he wasn't so sure anymore if he wanted to be a part of all this. The only way to know however was to wait and see, but as he followed Hagen through the snowy landscape, his heart grew heavy.


	2. Good Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite his best efforts, Hyoga is finding it very hard to stay away from all the intrigue at the Asgard Court.

"Commander!"

The whispered word made Hagen and Hyoga stop and deviate from the path they were following. They found several soldiers hidden among the bushes and crouched next to them. The men looked at Hyoga questioningly but Hagen didn't feel like explaining anything so after a loaded silence he impatiently snapped

"Well?"

The soldier in charge looked as if he woke up from a trance and tore his look away from Hyoga, who felt out of place in his gala outfit.

"He has barricaded himself in the hut of the dead forester and we can't possibly get him out. He's huge and he takes us out one by one as we try to enter."

"Take you out? How many casualties are there already?"

"Well, the strange thing is, Commander, that so far nobody got seriously injured. We can praise ourselves lucky that he doesn't seem to have any precise fighting skills."

Hagen frowned, that was not what he thought and when he noticed the look on Hyoga's face, he probably wasn't the only one. Damn, he had hoped to talk to the poacher alone, but right now, with all these people around, he didn't have much free space. And especially with Hyoga here, who he considered the King's spie. 

::How the hell was he going to solve this problem? Well, there's only one solution it would seem. ::

"I'm going in."

He ignored his men's objections and Hyoga's surprised look and told them all to stay where they were. He took a white piece of cloth, a torch, held them both above his head and slowly walked out onto the clearing that surrounded the small wooden building. He called out in a clear voice

"Hello, you in there. I want to talk to you."

He noticed the shadows in the cabin shifting and could only hope the man wasn't arming a crossbow or something of the kind. Then the voice came, sounding heavy and strong yet also somewhat hesitating, as if the man doubted himself and his actions.

"Who are you? And what do you want?"

"My name is Hagen, commander of the Asgard army. I only want to talk to you, I come unarmed."

Hyoga couldn't help but feel some excitement at the whole situation. There wasn't much action but it still was better than nothing. He had followed Hagen's order to stay where he was, but he was ready to interfere at the slightest sign of hostility. So he was almost disappointed when the door of the hut swung open and the voice from inside invited Hagen in. 

Hyoga thought once again about the soldier's words and found it strange that nobody had been hurt. And now Hagen was in there for several minutes already and not a sound could be heard. What could be happening in there? He wouldn't wait here much longer, for all he knew the poacher was taking Hagen hostage.

"Is there another way in?"

The soldier in charge looked surprised at that question but nodded.

"There is a window at the back but he hammered it shut, no possibility to get in there without being noticed."

"How's the sound from inside?"

Hyoga nodded as realization slowly dawned on the man's face.

"Take me there."

One of the soldiers led Hyoga in a circle around the hut, until they had a clear view on the closed window. Hyoga ordered him to stay where he was and slowly sneaked closer. He couldn't see anything of what was happening inside but knew that wasn't necessarily the same the other way around. He knew that in the dark his hair might give him away but he took the risk of going in. He managed to reach the window without problem though and leaned towards it, putting his ear to the wood. He couldn't clearly make out what they were saying since the voices sounded somewhat muffled but at least Hagen was still talking.

"So it's a deal then?"

Hagen's voice, sounding louder and clearer now, as if he had been whispering before that.

"Deal."

The other man's voice was clearly understandable now as well. Hyoga briefly wondered what they made a deal about when he heard them shifting chairs and realized they were going to come out. So he hurried back to the soldier and told him to take the same way back as they came. For some reason which he didn't fully comprehend, he didn't want Hagen to know what he had heard. They had just returned to their starting point when the door opened and Hagen stepped out.

"Lower your weapons, he's coming with us out of his own free will."

The men looked at each other incredously but did as their Commander said. Hyoga could clearly understand their whispers about how amazed they were at their Captain's exploits. After what he had just heard however, he stayed sceptic. He would wait and see what happened but there was something not quite right about this picture. 

When the poacher finally exited himself, Hyoga was amazed even more. The man was huge, had arms like logs and looked near to savage. But the thing that struck the Siberian was how the man, even though he looked like a wild man, managed to make himself seem smaller, more civilized, even somewhat shy. One thing was sure, he didn't look like a criminal and Hyoga felt something turn inside of him when the man was put in shackles and taken away. Hagen and Hyoga both watched the men take the prisoner away until only the lights of the torches were still visible among the trees.

"Well, that's that, let's go back to the Castle."

Hyoga slightly frowned when hearing Hagen's voice. It sounded strangely tensed, as if he had trouble controlling himself. He couldn't see his eyes however so couldn't be sure, therefore he just nodded.

"Lead the way."

The way back took longer because they weren't running and Hyoga was dying to ask Hagen several questions, about the King, about the poacher, about Freya. But he had the feeling that would not be welcomed and moreover he kept telling himself it was none of his business. Not yet anyway.

 

Entering the Hall, they noticed that only a few people were still present. Freya was sitting in a far corner of the room, reading a book by the light of a gas lamp. Hagen got a tender look in his eyes when he remembered her telling him she loved to imagine she lived in ancient times.

"Aha, there are our heroes!"

The King who was still sitting at the table, with at his right hand Alberich, stood up to greet them.

"One of the soldiers came to report about your success. I was just discussing the poacher's punishment with Alberich."

Hyoga noticed the evil gleem in Alberich's eyes and somehow he couldn't let the poacher's destiny be sealed by this man. So ignoring his own advice, he stopped forward.

"May I?"

He threw a brief glance at Hagen who was staring at him with a rather hostile look but he didn't quite care. He wanted to know what was going on. Alberich's look wasn't very happy either but the King burst out in laughter.

"You want to have a go at him!"

Hyoga's first impulse was to firmly deny that but he managed to hold back that reply in the nick of time.

"Rebellion in Siberia is scarce you know."

Hagen tried to interfere.

"Your Highness..."

"You did good Hagen, but your job is finished. You catch the bastards who eat our meat and we'll handle the rest."

Hagen had to make a huge effort not to punch Alberich in his mocking face, to kick Hyoga back on his ship and where he came from. As for his King... But it was not yet the time, just a little more patience. So he bowed, his hands balled by his side, and walked away, only moments later followed by Freya who had been silently watching the scene and now ran out of the room without a word to the three men observing her.

"Hyoga, what are your ideas?"

"Well, your Highness, I'd like to have a "chat" with him first, see how insolent he is. After all, if he were to threaten me, or maybe even try to break free, he would deserve a worse punishment, don't you think?"

Hyoga almost sighed in relief as the man patted his back, chuckling, but he refrained from doing so when he saw Alberich's look. Now there was one that wouldn't be easily fooled.

"Go and have that talk with him then. First thing after breakfast tomorrow might be a good idea."

Hyoga bowed and with the excuse of being tired he took his leave. The King watched him leave and muttered

"Are you sincere Hyoga? I wonder."

"I'm pretty sure he's not."

A lazy voice, spoken by a man lazily hanging in a chair, his feet resting on the table.

"What makes you say that Alberich?"

He sat down opposite his advisor, also putting his feet up and gesturing a maid to pour them both a drink.

"Instinct I guess. He's not that type of guy. Too polite and well-mannered."

"Unlike you, that's true. Oh well, I'm sure we'll manage to convert him and then we can finally get rid of the last nuisance here."

Alberich smiled, he was dreaming of the moment when he would finally be allowed to show Hagen his full power. And that day was nearer than the Commander might think.

 

Hyoga put his hand on the door handle of his room when someone pushed the door closed. He lifted his head and looked right into Hagen's burning eyes.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

For a moment Hyoga felt the urge to tell him what he heard in the cabin, to confess he wanted to postpone the whole punishing thing in the hope the others would loose interest. But he ran the risk that Hagen wouldn't believe him or that he would turn him in, although that last option seemed very unlikely. So instead he defied him.

"What's it to you?"

Hagen pushed him with his back against the wall, placing both hands on opposite sides of his head. He brought his face right up to Hyoga's and whispered lowly

"I'm warning you, Hyoga," – he dropped the courtesy of calling him Mylord – "stay out of our business. You may very well discover that it's too much for you to handle."

Hyoga knew he might very well be able to overpower Hagen but also realized he would not be able to pull such a trick again. So he stayed where he was, while sarcasm poured from his voice as he answered

"Ooh, I'm really shaking with fear now Hagen. But tell me, what are you so afraid of? That I'll take your place in the King's service... or rather in Freya's bed?"

White hot rage filled Hagen's heart and mind and without thinking about the consequences he punched Hyoga in the face, causing a small line of blood to drip from the corner of his mouth. It was only at that moment that Hagen considered the repercussions but he would never show his worry to this man. He hissed a warning rather than showing his feelings.

"Go home Hyoga, or you will regret it."

Hyoga watched him walk away with a pensive look in his eyes, as he wiped the blood from his mouth. He looked at the red stains on his hand and whispered  
"As first blood is drawn, thunder will break free."

 

Two hours later he was still tossing and turning in his bed, the first line of the prophecy playing in his head, mingling with what he had overheard in the cabin. And the more his mind and senses became clouded with weariness, the more he felt instinctively that it was somehow all connected.

"Argh!"

He sat upright in bed, staring into the dark corners of his room, so similar to the ones in his mind. He knew there was something there but it all stayed hidden from him. If only he could light a candle up there as well.

"Oh, this is no use. Let me see if I'm still guarded."

He put on some clothes and carefully opened the door to his room. When peeking around it, he noticed the hallway was empty and that a heavy silence reigned in the Castle. He closed the door behind him and started randomly walking. He was admiring the architectural design for a while, then wondered about their heating system since none of the corridors were cold and drafty. After that, boredom set in and Hyoga thought maybe he'd be able to sleep now, so he turned and started out for his room when suddenly he noticed someone a few meters in front of him. He hurriedly hid in an alcove in the wall and peeked around the corner. There was definitely something familiar about this figure, which was skulking as much as possible in the shadows, while still hurrying along. Hyoga decided to follow him or her to find out what he was up to.

At a certain moment Hyoga lost sight of the figure on the stairs, but when he arrived in the dungeons he got a shock when discovering that the figure he was following was in fact Hagen, who was stepping over a guard who lay knocked out on the floor. Hyoga took advantage of the fact he was turned with his back to him, to hide in an adjacent room, so the other man wouldn't spot him when going back up.

Hagen thought he heard something and turned abruptly but everything was quiet, so he bent down to take the keys off the guard’s belt and went to one of the cells at the end of the corridor. He whispered towards the man who seemed to be asleep on the tiny bed.

"Thor! Wake up!"

Something stirred in the cell and the next moment the door was open and the poacher was standing next to Hagen, almost twice as big, but looking like a small kid. Hagen carefully closed the cell and put the keys back in place before putting the hood back over his head, giving him an almost ghostly look.

"Follow me Thor. Be quiet, stay close and we'll be out of here in no time."

When they were gone, Hyoga ran up the stairs. He had a feeling Hagen would take the same way out which they had taken earlier, so he would go one floor up and observe them from there. He had barely arrived there when he saw the two men moving through the shadows below him. But from his high place he could also see a guard coming from another corridor. If they kept walking, they would bump into each other. He hesitated but a fraction of a second, before uttering a short cough, a noise which made Hagen pull Thor back in the shadows completely. Barely a few seconds later the guard turned the corner, looked around but didn't see anything at first sight, so he continued his round, thinking that all he wanted was to go to bed.

Once he was out of sight, Hyoga decided not to linger here, if he was discovered he would surely be suspected of the escape. He didn't know that for a moment he stood in between a moonlit window and Hagen, who clearly regognized the man's profile.

::What the hell is he doing here?::

Hagen was pulled out of his thoughts as Thor pulled his sleeve. Hagen would rather first talk to Hyoga to find out what he saw or what he was doing there in the middle of the night, but his priority now was to bring Thor to safety, regardless of what might be his own destiny when he came back.

As the two men left a figure released itself from the shadows, threw one last look at where Hyoga disappeared to and then decided to follow the two others.

 

When Hyoga returned to his bedroom, something told him to turn the key in the lock, after which he undressed and went to bed. He fell instantly asleep till the next morning, not noticing the door handle silently being pushed down in the middle of the night.

 

The next morning Hyoga came down for breakfast and saw that only few people were present yet. The King, Hagen and Fenrir, who as usual, was lurking somewhere in a corner. Hagen definitely looked tired and stressed and did his best to avoid Hyoga's look.

"Hyoga!"

He turned to the King who came to greet him with an excited look on his face.

"The prisoner escaped, just as you predicted! Alberich has gone out to try and find his tracks and if he does, we've got ourselves a man hunt. You do know how to ride a horse, don't you?"

Hyoga nodded, a bit taken aback by the enthusiasm of the man. He would have also thought the wolf guy to go look for tracks but maybe they were 'saving' him for the hunt. The King put an arm around his shoulders and led him towards the table.

"Anyway, do you have any idea who might have freed him? The guard was taken out quite professionally; he still has a headache from it. The one who is responsible must also have known our system because it happened right after the change of guard."

He pushed Hyoga down on a chair, pressing his fingers in Hyoga's shoulders, not really painfully, but Hyoga considered it as a warning. This was confirmed by the King's next words.

"Those are the main reasons why we think you can't have done this. But I would like to know,' – he walked around the table and took place opposite Hyoga, looking him in the eyes – "what you were doing roaming the Castle in the middle of the night."

Hyoga only diverted his eyes for a moment, turning them towards Hagen who now seemed to follow the conversation with full attention before he answered the King's look.

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to have a look around. I had noticed the wonderful architecture when I arrived yesterday so I thought it'd be more fun than tossing and turning until dawn."

He was telling the truth so he knew there was no tension in his voice and eyes. The King nodded, seeming to believe him instantly and rested his chin in his hand.

"You didn't notice anything weird?"

Hyoga was somewhat surprised at the man's ... inelegant behaviour, but after all, he was also just a man and not only a King. Another quick look at Hagen, who adverted his eyes again.

"No, I didn't," – he chuckled – "I even found the heavy silence so eerie that I returned to bed rather quickly."

The King smiled, seemingly innocently, but the sentiment didn't reach his eyes whose alertness betrayed them.

"What made you close your door by the way?"

Hyoga answered his smile, cheerfully, but his eyes also must betray him, because all he could think of was who had seen him that night, who had been out of their chambers as well.

"As I said, the eerie silence."

Finally the other man seemed satisfied with his answers and leant back in his chair.

"Very well. Let's eat."

The breakfast was passed mostly in silence, with the King eating so much that Hyoga didn't understand how he could stay so lean and thin. Fenrir had taken place at the other side of the table and was eating in a more 'human' way than the ruler of his country. This intrigued Hyoga, since Hagen had introduced him as a wolf, but apart from the fact that he was very solitary, Hyoga hadn't seen anything animal about him. Fenrir must have felt him staring because he looked up and Hyoga thought an ironic smile played around his lips. He wasn't sure since it went so fast but he would definitely try to have a chat with him someday soon.

When they had finished breakfast the doors suddenly flew open and a furious looking Freya in night gown stormed in, followed by Alberich, a lazy smile playing on his features.

"What the HELL do you people think you are doing?!"

The question was directed at the King but she somehow managed to include Hyoga in it as well, a thing which he couldn't help but admire.

"This ... man," – she pointed at Alberich and her voice was dripping with sarcasm – "barged into my room just like that, looking for a so-called prisoner. He didn't even have the decency to knock or send a maid in first."

She put her two hands on the table, leaning forward to look the King right in the eyes. Hers were shining bright with anger and her voice was low as she told him

"Remember, Your Highness, that this is till Odin's domain and one day I will convince my sister we don't need you to take care of our people. We managed fine till you came along and now..."

All her anger left her and her voice broke as she remembered the loss. She sunk in a chair, on the verge of tears. Hagen got out of his chair but the King stopped him with a gesture of his hand. After that he stood up himself to take place on the chair next to Freya. He leaned into her and whispered in her ear, loud enough so Hyoga could understand.

"If you ever pull a stunt like that again, sister, you know what will happen."

She jerked her head up, fear now visible in her eyes.

"You wouldn't!"

He laughed but the sound was devoid of every joy.

"You should know by now that I would. You must also remember that that threat of yours works both ways."

Hyoga couldn't see the woman's face but he noticed that she started slightly trembling. From the corner of his eye he could also see Hagen's tension and he could understand the man's eagerness to interfere. He briefly wondered if Magnus had any idea about the kind of man this King was.

Getting up from his chair, the King turned to Alberich, all danger emanating from him before, now vanished as if it were never there;

"Well, my boy, what do you have to say for yourself? You know it's impolite to charge into a lady's room without knocking."

He seemed to think it was one big joke and Alberich seemed to agree because he grinned widely before getting serious again.

"We couldn't find any tracks of the prisoner around the Castle. I believe he's still somewhere inside and am searching every room, including the Princess' one. We can't put anyone above suspicion in this matter, not even our dear Commander."

Hagen, who was now comforting Freya, got up to face Alberich.

"What are you implying?"

Alberich didn't flinch, it even looked as if he wanted the other man to hit him.

"Oh, I'm not implying anything. But where were you last night Hagen?"

"In my room, sleeping, where else would you want me to be?"

Hyoga looked at the King and saw that he seemed to be enjoying himself. It was maybe silly of him, but he had always thought a King should rather want peace at his court rather than intrigues and mistrust. He thought of interfering but at that moment Fenrir stretched and yawned and almost imperceptibly shook his head when Hyoga looked at him. Finally the King interfered himself.

"Well, this is great entertainment, as usual, but I'm afraid it can't last. You see, I received message last night about an important visitor we are expecting. He arrives today so I want everyone to be at their best behaviour – I know you have difficulty with that Hagen, and Freya, you'll wipe those tears away by then, won't you – because this person means a lot to me. So at work, all of you."

Hagen and Freya left together, without saying anything more. Hyoga wondered about that, Hagen didn't seem the kind of man to let himself be humiliated like that. This surely meant either the King, either Hagen himself had something up their sleeve.

Fenrir threw one last meaningful look at Hyoga before leaving as well. Hyoga thought he'd better get out of here but hesitated since he didn't have anything to do and didn't want to get in anyone's way.

"Hyoga."

"Yes your Highness?"

"I know you were mainly in charge of your father's army so I would really like your opinion on our way of running things here. I suggest you catch up with Hagen and don't let him out of your sight. And while you're at it, see if he doesn't do anything ... how shall I put it ... directed against the Kingdom."

Hyoga opened his eyes wide from the surprise and was about to ask him a few things but the King beat him to it.

"I'll explain later, just keep an eye out, okay?"

Hyoga looked back and forth between him and Alberich, hesitating about what to do, then made a small bow and left. Despite his good resolutions, he was being pulled in the web of intrigues by arms and legs. The door slammed shut behind him and the King chuckled.

"He didn't seem all that pleased with it, did he?"

"Are you sure it's a wise thing to do? What if Hagen puts all kinds of ideas in his head?"

The King narrowed his eyes.

"Are you questioning me?"

Alberich seemed taken aback by that reaction but before he could say anything the other man was laughing again.

"You know, Hagen is so suspicious and jealous toward Hyoga that he'll act like a moron. As for Hyoga, he is so full of good intentions and wants to honour his father that he won't meddle in our affairs more than is good for them. Don't you worry Alberich, it's all going according to plan.

"If you say so... Anyway, who is this visitor you talk about?"

The King smiled and Alberich thought he had never seen him so happy.

"My brother..."


End file.
